The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-10-30

gives intellectual freedom only TO found
lingS?
Ii 10y christianity You mean the good
ness, the spirit OF forgiveness, the bcucvo-
lenc, claimed by christians TO bc part,
and the principle part, Of that peculiar re-
ligion, then do not agree with YOU when
YOU say that "Chrisi is christianity and
that il stands or falls with him" You
have narrowed unnecessarily the inuuda-
ton of your religion. Ii it should be- cs-
tahlishcd beyond doubt that Christ never
existed all that IL Of value in christianity
would remain, and remain unimpairyd
suppose We should find that Euclid was u
myth, the science known ~ mathematics
would not suffer II makes no difference
who painted or chsclcd the greatest
pictures and statues 50 long IA we have the
pictures aud statues. When lac who has
given the world truth passes from the
earth the truth is left. 4 truth dies onl"
when forgotten 10y the human race,
Justice, love, mercy forgiveness, honor,
all the virtues that ever hlossumcd in the
human heart, were known aud pmctcrd
for mcountcd ages before the birth ol
Christ
You insist that religion docs not leave
man in "ahjcct terror does not leave
him lin utter darkness rs Ia his fate
VINO WILL nv SAVED.
L. il possible Ia know who will bc
saved Can YOU read the names mem
toned in the DEGREES of the lniinitr1 Is Il
possible to tell who is TO be- etcrnally lustY
CHIftho imagination conceive worse fate
than your religion predicts for majority
of the mcc2 Why should not every hu-
man being he in "ahjcct terror who be-
licNCs your doctrine? How many loving
aud sincere women are In the asylums to.
day, fearing that they have committed
'thc objectionable sn''-a sin Ia which
YOUR God has, attached the penalty al
eternal torment, and yet has failed 10 dc.
| scribe the ullinsc2 Can tyranny 20 be-.
| you'd this fixing the penalty ol eternal
| pnn lur the violation ol a law not written
no, known, but kept in the secrecy Of in
! finite darkness. How much happier II IL
Ia know nothing about IL, aud to bclicy,
nothing about IL How much better {,
I have no Cod
You discover "GUnt intelligence or
dcring our little lives, ~ that even IN,
trials that We bear, ny they call out thu
/ finer elements ui character, Cunducc Ia on
mIurr happiness. This * an oil explain
alton probably ~ good ~ any. The idc
j., that this world is u school in whicl
man becomes educated through tribulatio
the muscles ol character being dcyclupc
hy wrestling with misfortune. II IL
| necessary tu live this life in nplcr Ia dc
| Nrlup character, in orlcrto become worth
ul better world, how do YOU account ~
the iirl that billions oi the human race III
ia infancy, and arr thus deprived of thi
necessary education and development
| What would YOU think oi schoolmnslcI
who should kill a larcr proportion oi hi
scholars during the iint lny, before the,
even had an opportunity To look ut A.
You insist that there isa power benin,
nature making for righteousness.
Ii nature II infinite, how can there bc
power outside ut naturv1 II you mean "
"a power making ior ughtcousncss' tbs
man, M hc becomes civilized, M he w
comes iUtgliigJHt, mol unly jak,w mi,a
tngc oi the lOrrcs oi nature lor his own he
, eft, hut pcrceiycs mon and mon clear
that II he ia q be- happy hc inua live
harmony with the conditions NJ his bcinl
IN harmony With the facts lay which hc
surrounded, in harmony with the relation
lac sisiains Ia Others aud Ia things, II thi
is what you mean, then there X - powc
making for righteousness. Hut II yo
mean that thcrr II something suprrnniur
back of nature directing events, then ! IN
sisi that them can by no possibility be- an
cVidcnc, NJ the existence Of such power
The history of the human race show
that nations rise aud fall There X limi
Ia the life of race. NJ that II can bc Eli
NJ every nation dead that there was
period when II laid the foundations {
prosperity, when the combined iniclliprnr
and virtue II the people constituted
power working ior righteousness, aud tn
there came q time when this nation N
came u apcndthriit, when II ceased Ia u,
cumulnic, when Il lived ON the labon
its youth, and passed from strength nn
glory Ia the weakness Of old age, M
finally fell pal-icd "a liz tomb.
fur YOU personally have the highc
regard aud the sincercst respect, and
beg of you not Ia pollutc the soul Of chil'
hood, not a. iurruw the checks ~ mOthcr
by preaching creed that should u
shrickcd in mad-hoiisc. do not max
the cradle ~ terrible M the coffin
Preach pray YOU, the gospel oi inic
lcciual hospitality the liberty of though
and speech Take from loving hearts ia
awful fear. Have mercy ON your lcllo'
men. do not drive 10 madness III
mothers whu4c tears are falling ON III
pnllid faces 0i thOsc who died in unbclic
Pity the crring, hayward, suffering. wccl
ing world. Do moi proclaim IN 'tidnl
III great Joy that m infinite spider
weaving webs Ia catch the souls IT men.
RonERr e.. lNUEit,oLI.